At the request of others, I am posting some more pics of my 1969 COPO 427. The car is 100% correct and underwent a rotisserie restoration in 2007. Currently the engine is putting out 473hp w. 497tq - a little over factory specs due to a little bit more aggressive cam and a few other tricks to run better on pump gas. The only thing that is not correct is that it now has hydraulic lifters - it should have solid as all the 4 speed cars had but in todays day it is not enjoyable adjusting rockers all the time.

Fred Gibb took me a ride in a real ZR-1 copo Camaro, when they were new in Laharpe,Ill. Damn that thing was monster. It was kind of a ugly dark red or burgandy color, no dog dish hub caps just rims!Very nice Camaro, a true tribute to the car. I dont blame you, solids were a pain in the a$$, especially if you drove the car on the street. I just remembered how the car pulled, geeeeez it would THROW you back into the seat and pin you there.

Most people dont know alot about the COPO and ZL1 cars. To have ridden in a real one back in the day is an experience you will never be able to replace. Today a real one can run you over $1m.

The COPO and ZL1 were bascally the same car except the ZL1 had the all aluminum 427 pushing about 500hp, tranistorized iginition system and lighter springs in the front to offset the lighter aluminum engine.

In 1969 these cars were being taken out of showroom floors and straight to the racetrack. With bias ply tires they were running low 12's - with a set of slicks and some headers they were easily in the mid 11's.

40 years later the cars are just starting to catch up to these performance levels - but nothing like the raw power of a non-fuel injected engine. With the nasty cams and chambered exhaust they just barely idle and you can hear them a 1/4 mile away when they are coming down the street.

The sad part of this car is that you really cannot drive it. The car was completed so perfectly that even a mere stone chip would hurt the car. I have taken it out a few times on short runs around the neighborhood and it is a testment to old school power. Not only does it snap our neck back in the seat when you crack open the 4 barrel, but when you get done driving have a smell to you from the exhaust and the massive amount of fuel it burns.

I have ordered a 2010 that I plan to drive - a SIM w. orange rally stripes and accented interior. The COPO is actually enjoyable to just look at believe it or not.

Hehe - if you watch Mecum and Barrett Jackson these days it is sick to see what these cars can grab. Most of the cars that you see pass on the camera look good but in person they lose thier glamour - this COPO actually looks better in person than in pictures.